Daisy
by Loony-Lovegood321
Summary: Peter Pettigrew wasn't always the bad guy. Once upon a time he was just like all the other nervous first years, just looking for a friend. And then he met Daisy, the girl who would unknowingly change the course of history. Being deeply loved gives you strength to defy those you fight against. Loving deeply gives you the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Peter/OC


**Author's Note: So I've been working on this for a while, and it's probably not perfect yet, but I'm still kind of excited about it because I can't find many fanfics on Peter Pettigrew, even less that depict him in a more positive light, and very few of those that have a love interest for him. Some fanfics pretend he doesn't exist or make him out to be a total creep. So this is my version!**

 **Loony Lovegood**

 **Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns everything except for Daisy, Benjamin and Florence**

She's one of those girls.

One of the clever girls, the ones with hundreds of entertaining stories and jokes and ideas ready on her lips, with the little insecurities and imperfections that don't really matter but they still worry constantly about, friendly but stubborn, loyal but fierce, short tempered but loving.

Peter Pettigrew knows she's one of those girls the second he first sees her, curled up in a compartment at the end of the Hogwarts Express, nose stuck into a tattered book, curly brown hair lighting up in the warm sun coming in through the window and falling into her eyes, feet tucked up, bright eyes moving quickly across the pages.

James, Sirius and Remus are his best friends at Hogwarts, but she is his first friend. They sit together the entire journey. She's muggleborn, and very excited to be going to Hogwarts. Peter finds himself answering multitudes of questions about the Wizarding World, as she eagerly rifles through her new school books. She loves reading and spends at least an hour chatting enthusiastically about her favourite books. Her name is Daisy.

* * *

'RAVENCLAW!' shouts the Sorting Hat, and Peter feels his heart sink slightly as she hops up, beaming her gorgeous smile, to go sit with the Ravenclaws. Next to him, a lanky boy introduces himself as James Potter, and indicates to the two boys sitting across from them as Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Over with the Ravenclaws, Daisy has the entire group of first years paying rapt attention as she tells some story, waving her arms and pulling faces, wriggling her tiny nose.

She still says hello in the corridors, and sometimes they'll hang out together. In third year, Peter ends up in the hospital wing after a prank gone wrong, and she's there as well, with an eagle beak instead of a nose and mouth, feathers covering her arms. She looks very cross. Ambushed by some Slytherins, a nasty hex, but nothing she can't handle she tells him stoutly, sitting down in a chair near his bed as Madam Moffingham mutters a series of counter spells, and the assistant Healer Madam Pomfrey forces him to lie back down.

'They're jealous,' Peter says back. 'Because you're perfect, and they're as thick as two short planks. Don't listen to them.' She blushes and grins at him, waving the compliment away and rushing out of the hospital wing. He realises what he's just said and has a violent coughing fit. James, Sirius and Remus visit, but only for a little. They're all working on the Animagus project, to keep Remus company on the full moon.

In fifth year, Peter first sees her at the feast, when she goes past the Gryffindor table on her way to Ravenclaw. She seems prettier than he remembers, her face lost most of its roundness, curly hair shorter and bouncing around her shoulders, a new sort of confidence that's never been there before. He knocks over his glass of pumpkin juice, and then sticks his elbow in the steak and kidney pie while he's trying to mop it up. James and Sirius and even Remus laugh at him.

He tries to ask her to the Hogsmeade weekend, but fumbles over the words and turns and sprints off down the corridor, cursing himself for being an idiot. Instead, he sees her in the Three Broomsticks with Davy Gudgeon, deep in conversation. And that's the end of that.

Except it isn't. To his horror, she comes across him in the library as he's wrestling with an awful Transfiguration essay, cursing OWLs, and plonks herself down to help. She doesn't say a word about him running away from her, instead drawing him into a conversation about who'll top this year's Quidditch league.

He can see it's mostly for his benefit, because Daisy can't ride a broom, she never goes to a single Quidditch game, and has said plainly many times that she doesn't need to catch a Quaffle or swing a beater bat to become a Magizoologist.

But they still argue over the Tutshill Tornadoes and the Wimbourne Wasps. Peter's delighted when Daisy tells him he's a better Beater than Ludo Bagman, even if it's utterly untrue. All the while she goes over his essay, correcting the mistakes and writing in her neat round words, and smiles when he tries to say thank you.

'Just this once.' she says. 'OWL year's a bugger.'

After this, they always meet in the library, and become closer. Peter doesn't have any idea how, but he manages to get past OWLs. They keep in touch over the summer, and Daisy's letters are the only bright spot in the dreary weeks he spends at his horrible Great Aunt Mathilda's house up in Wales with his parents, who can't stand her either and mostly spend their time arguing with her or each other and sulking down at the muggle shops in the tiny village.

On the train, Daisy sits with Davy Gudgeon the entire way, and Peter doesn't think he can drop in to say hello without breaking Gudgeon's nose, because he won't stop snogging her and Peter can't see how she puts up with it.

She breaks up with Gudgeon three months into sixth year anyway, and seems really miserable about it.

'Little git.' she whispers to Peter during Charms. 'I found him in a broom closet with Fay Prewett on my prefect rounds. I'm glad to be shot of him.' she's putting on a brave face like she always does, but her eyes betray her. Nice eyes, Peter thinks to himself. Warm brown. Like chocolate. Incapable of hiding her feelings.

It's hard to look innocent when Gudgeon appears at breakfast one morning with a patch of grass growing where his hair should be, flowers sprouting from his ears and leaves trailing behind him, but Peter pulls it off, and grins to himself when he sees Daisy at the Ravenclaw table, laughing along with everyone else.

He doesn't know what to call their relationship anymore. They spend so much time together he feels like he's closer to her than any of her giggly friends. Her favourite colour's yellow, in spite of her house colour being blue, her favourite band is the Screaming Banshee, her dream is to become a Magizoologist, she adores chocolate and she lives with her elderly grandmother and her cat in Kent.

It's mostly Sirius that girls like, not Peter. And if they don't like him, often they'll be infatuated with Remus, or sometimes James, but really he's a hopeless case because he doesn't pay attention to any girl except for Lily Evans. Peter's not that smart, not handsome or amazingly funny, only good at Quidditch really, being a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. But Daisy seems to like him better than his friends.

'You see people,' she tells him one lazy afternoon by the lake. 'Not just how they are outwardly, but what they're really like on the inside. Sometimes I feel like you know me better than I know myself.'

Peter flops back on to the sweet smelling grass, and watches several students get doused by the Giant Squid. Daisy lies on her stomach a few yards away, smiling at him sleepily, her eye lids half shut and her arms cushioning her head. 'Really?' he asks. Sometimes he just wishes she'd tell him what she feels because what she does is confusing him.

But no one ever said love was easy.

Oh Merlin. Peter sits bolt upright and startles Daisy. 'Oh Merlin.' he says again, out loud this time. That thought never crossed his mind. He never let it. But now that it's entered his thoughts, it's not going away. He loves Daisy.

It follows him through the next few weeks. Every time she so much as glances at him, he jumps like he's received an electric shock, and pretends to be very busy doing something else.

But then she asks him to Hogsmeade. And he says yes.

* * *

'Oh bugger!' Peter wails, staring into the bathroom mirror, chucking Sirius' hairbrush over his shoulder. 'I've got the Prongs Curse!'

The Prongs Curse is infamous in the Marauder dormitory. It's named after James, or rather, his chaotic, tangled, sticking up hair. Sirius got it in second year, and spent the day with a hat crammed over his head, hexing anyone who so much as dared to laugh. Remus got it fourth year, and hogged the bathroom most of the morning, attacking the unruly mess atop his head with a wet comb, Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, anything he could find, and finally emerged with even more untidy hair, and a very bad mood.

And now Peter has it, on today of all days.

'I refuse to leave!' he shouts as James and Sirius try to pry him out of the dormitory. 'What will Daisy say?'

'What a great hairstyle, it's just like that gorgeous bloke James Potter's?' suggests James, finally giving him up and levitating him out the door. 'But of course, I can pull it off better.'

Daisy giggles when she sees him, but doesn't seem to particularly care. It's one of the best days of his life, strolling through the streets, holding her hand, sitting in the Three Broomsticks just the two of them. When he drops her off at her common room, he even plucks up the courage to give her a quick kiss. It's his first kiss, but he doubts he will ever have a kiss better than this.

She stops at first, but then she slides an arm around his neck, pulling his closer. He cups her chin with one hand, the other holding her waist. Peter feels like his brain's melting inside his head. Daisy's lips are soft, and her hair smells so indescribable; not like perfume, like the clean air outside. They stay like that in their perfect moment for what seems like forever, lost in their own happy world, before someone clears their throat behind them.

'Sorry.' a tiny first year says, looking terrified. 'It's almost curfew and I need to finish my essay…' she looks up at the ceiling. 'You're blocking the entrance.'

Daisy pulls Peter to the side and smiles at the first year as she darts through the door with a mumbled reply to the eagle knocker.

She starts roaring with laughter the minutes the first year disappears. 'Your face!' she gasps, between giggles.

'It's not that funny!' Peter says, but he grins as well. 'We should go out again sometime.' he tells her shyly.

'I'd like that.' Daisy gives him another short kiss. 'Night Pete.'

'Night Daisy.'

* * *

But then there's this rumoured war raging outside Hogwarts. A group calling themselves Death Eaters. Going after muggleborns and muggles. Led by a mysterious man labelling himself Lord Voldemort.

It must be bad, because everyone's too scared to say his name. The Daily Prophet calls him He Who Must Not Be Named when they report all the deaths and disappearances. Students are taken out of Hogwarts, owls fly down to breakfast every morning with that dreaded black envelope, a terse message from the Ministry. _We regret to inform you that Richard Clearwater was killed in action on the 18 March._

'Those Slytherins.' Daisy tells Peter, her eyes flashing in anger. 'And there's even a few people in my house who thinks this Dark Lord bloke has the right idea! They're just dying to join the Death Eaters when they leave, and Dumbledore isn't doing anything about it. Did you hear what those seventh years did to Mary McDonald?'

In NEWT year, the tension is so thick Peter feels like he's drowning in it. Five Slytherins corner him down the Potions corridor and offer things beyond his wildest dreams if he becomes one of the Dark Lord's spies. He sticks the Slytherins in the hospital wing for a week, with a few well-aimed curses and help from Lily Evans and the Marauders, who've just come out of Potions.

A group of people, including all his friends, Lily, Alice Fortescue, Marlene McKinnon, Daisy and a bunch of students he doesn't know are summoned to Dumbledore's office and offered a place in the Order of the Phoenix as soon as they leave school.

They'll be fighting against You-Know-Who, trying to turn the tide of the war. Daisy signs up immediately, as do all Peter's friends and the Gryffindor girls. Most of the other students put their names down too. Only Calypso Nott, a dark haired Ravenclaw backs out. 'I'm sorry Professor.' she says looking pained. 'But my parents have made it quite clear what side I'm expected to be on, and what'll happen if I'm not. I have two little sisters who need me, and I have to shield them from the war as best I can.' Another boy also says regretfully he can't join, and that just leaves Peter.

But he knows exactly what he wants to do, because in the very distant future, the one in his dreams, he can see still see Daisy, her arm around his waist, smiling at him. Sometimes he can see a short girl with eyes the same blue as his, boarding the Hogwarts express. A tiny boy, with curls just like Daisy's, clinging to Peter's arm, the four of them living in a war free world.

His name goes down beside Daisy's, and he finds her hand under the table and squeezes it.

Lily and James get married almost straight after graduating, and Peter takes her along. She gets teary eyed halfway through the ceremony, but when Lily throws her bouquet, Daisy stays out of it and it's Marlene McKinnon who catches it, appearing out of the crowd of shrieking girls with a black eye, triumphantly waving the squashed flowers while the dozens of young maidens scowl. Her and Sirius get extremely drunk at the reception and start snogging on the side of the dance floor. Peter and Daisy are in the middle, swaying to a tune no one else can hear.

Peter starts working for the Order of the Phoenix, but then Daisy gets the job she's always dreamed of, working as a Magizoologist, and drags Peter halfway around the world to study dragons and chimeras, chase griffins and sea serpents, and discover entirely new species. The hot sun of Egypt and the freezing temperatures in the Artic seem so far from the raging war in Britain.

They get married in Greece, barefoot on the beach, and Peter wants to freeze these past few months forever so he can relive them over and over. But straight after, they return to Britain to help the Order.

It doesn't seem like they're winning. Caradoc Dearborn is killed fighting the Death Eaters, and a couple of weeks after that Fabian and Gideon Prewett are killed as well in a brutal duel, taken down by five Death Eaters. The McKinnons are attacked and Marlene comes home to find her entire family murdered, Edgar Bones is ambushed returning from an Order mission, and Dorcas Meadowes is tortured to death for information. It seems like they're losing.

* * *

Peter's so close to turning coat, the night he comes home to find Bellatrix Lestrange lounging around his flat. Daisy lies on the floor, Stunned, her eyes wide, blood trickling from her face and neck. He can only thank Merlin he didn't find her dead.

Bellatrix promises that the Dark Lord will let Daisy live if he becomes a spy, and the offer is so, so tempting because Peter can't see the end of this war anymore, only that if the Order keeps resisting You Know Who like this they'll all be picked off, one by one.

Seeing how close he is to saying yes, Bellatrix starts talking to prod him a bit further. Better to be on the winning side isn't it, and not face the punishments of the losing? Better to keep his wife safe, than push her to her death. Maybe Daisy won't understand at first, but she'll realise in the end it's all for the best.

His eyes flick, just for a second, to Daisy on the ground. She is struggling, just a little bit against Bellatrix's Stunner, and looking straight at him. _No._ Her eyes seem to say. _No. Don't do this Peter._

'You'll be safe this way.' he tells her desperately, raising his voice to fill her crushing silence. 'I won't let you die Daisy.'

She struggles a bit more against the Stunning spell, and then her voice echoes through the room. 'Some things are worth dying for! Like family! Friends! People you've never even met! But none of them deserve to be killed because of their blood! None of them deserve to be cut down for standing up for what they believe in, but they have been and they will be, and that's why we have to keep fighting! Don't stop the second it seems like we're losing! Don't go over to Voldemort!'

Bellatrix sneers. 'How pathetic. Do you really, after all this, think you have a shot at winning? Will you die trying? How very Gryffindorish of you. Rushing head long into the fight, not pausing for a second to think, how can I twist this to my advantage?' she turns back to Peter. 'Think before you get yourself killed Pettigrew. You could be very useful to the Dark Lord.'

Daisy speaks quieter. 'What about your family? Your mum, your dad, even Great Aunt Mathilda? James? Sirius? Remus? What about my family?'

Peter takes a breath, and sends a silent _finite incantatem_ towards Daisy behind his back.

He looks directly at Bellatrix, who tilts her head and stares straight back. 'You try it Pettigrew.' she says, smirking down at him. 'I dare you. Try it, and see where is gets you.'

Behind her, Daisy wobbles up, trying to staunch the blood trickling from the cuts on her face. Her wand lies abandoned one the other side of the room, and she glances at it, a tiny crease forming in her brows.

'You're going to Azkaban Bellatrix.' Peter says loudly, sounding much braver than he feels. 'And make no mistake, Dumbledore will be glad to be forewarned that You Know Who's trying to recruit spies.'

But she slips forwards and snatches her wand from the table beside him. Backing up, she levels it between his eyes. 'A pity Pettigrew.' she hisses at him. 'But don't think this is over. It's barely started, and now your pretty little wife will die because you didn't take the chance to save her.' she turns around and shouts something, and a stream of blue light shoots at Daisy, who just barely misses it by dropping to the ground and rolling behind the sofa. Crawling quickly to take cover behind an armchair as the sofa turns to dust, she grabs her wand from the corner and sends a volley of spells back at Bellatrix. One of them hits the far wall and it explodes, sending wood and plaster ricocheting everywhere.

A large piece of wood embeds itself in Peter's shoulder, and he falls back in shock, wand tumbling out of his slackened grip. The ceiling seems to be caving in, and Peter squints up at it as it crashes down. And then it disappears.

* * *

'When's he gonna wake up?'

'The Healer said he's got a concussion. An armchair from the floor above us hit him in the head when the ceiling collapsed.'

'Only Wormtail would get knocked out by an armchair. I suppose Muggle Relations came to Obliviate all the poor Muggles in your building?'

'Yeah, they were all panicking, shouting about calling the policemen – that's muggle Aurors James – and running around like headless chickens.'

Peter cracks open one eye, and feels a sharp stab of pain shoot through his body. His shoulder seemed to be immobilised, and his head feels like it had the day after he'd stayed up all night drinking Firewhiskey with the rest of the Marauders. But he still has a voice.

'Daisy?' he croaks, trying to sit up. 'DAISY! GET OUT OF THE WAY! BELLATRIX WILL – '

'Calm down Peter.' he feels her tiny hand enclose his. 'We're at St Mungo's. Bellatrix Disapparated as the ceiling came down, but half the Order arrived as soon as I sent a Patronus message.' she gestured to James, Remus, Sirius and Lily standing behind her.

He sees her anxious, red rimmed eyes and pale, pinched face. 'I'm OK.' he says softly, clutching on to her hand like a life line. 'Winning or losing, I'm going to fight for what's right, on the same side as you.'

Relief floods her face. 'I knew you'd never turn coat.' she tells him fiercely, stroking the blond hair back from his face. 'We'll come out of this war Peter.'

He's cleared to go home the next day, once the Healers have made completely sure he's only got surface wounds. It's amazing really that he's only got a broken arm.

The war's continuing, and a prophecy had been made about a baby with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. 'I cannot disclose the exact prophecy, but I believe it's Lily and James or Frank and Alice's child it's is referring to.' Dumbledore tells the Order, looking tired. 'Both of you will have to go into hiding. One of Voldemort's spies overheard the start of the prophecy, and he will almost certainly try hunt down one of your children.'

Maud Gillwendle stands up. She's a white haired old woman who works as an Unspeakable deep in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries, and her face is tense. 'Dumbledore?' she asks. 'Are-are you sure this prophecy will come to fruition? We have many prophecies in my department, which sometimes come true hundreds of years after they are spoken, or even never, all depending on circumstances.'

Dumbledore looks at her. 'You are right Maud. The circumstances. It all depends on them, doesn't it?'

Lily and James ask Sirius first to be their Secret Keeper. But Sirius refuses. 'Have Peter. They won't suspect him. Who would?' he tells them during their meeting. 'No offence Pete.'

Peter shakes his head as well. 'The Death Eaters will come after me again.' he says. 'Bellatrix told me, when she left, that this wasn't over. They want me to turn spy, and I'll never forgive myself if I make some stupid blunder and tell them where you're hiding.'

'You wouldn't Peter.' Lily says encouragingly. 'I know you wouldn't.'

Beside him, Daisy speaks up, a trifle shyly. 'Pick someone you trust, but not someone connected to you.' she says. 'Someone that the Death Eaters don't know you know.'

And that's how Emmeline Vance becomes Lily and James' Secret Keeper. Peter doesn't know her particularly well, but Daisy does and repeatedly tells him that Emmeline is a strong fighter and would rather die than go over to Voldemort. Maybe she's trying to convince herself. She comes home from Order missions, sometimes fine, sometimes about to go mad.

'I saw him.' she tells him one night, slipping off her cloak. 'Oh Merlin Pete – we crashed a Death Eater meeting, and You-Know-Who was there. He duelled four of us at once, and almost killed Sirius– '

'He must like you.' Peter says comfortingly, rubbing her shoulders. 'What, this is the fourth time he's tried to kill you, and failed miserably?'

Daisy shudders, and then bursts into hysterical sobs. Peter starts fearing for her sanity.

But then something comes along to take their minds off it.

'Pregnant?' Peter echoes incredulously.

Daisy bites her lip, 'I think so. I thought I was just getting fat, but I'm pretty far along. Around the same as Lily, I just never thought to test...'

'A kid?'

'No, a Thestral. Of course a kid. A little baby. _Our_ little baby.'

And a mere two days before Harry Potter arrives into the world, he's standing in St Mungo's with his screaming wife.

'Ah, nearly there Daisy!' A Healer tells her encouragingly from the other end of the bed. 'Oi reckn' a couple more pushes will brin' th' bairn intae th' world!'

'HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO BLOODY TAKE?' she shouts back, pushing. Her fingers almost crush Peter's. She throws her head back and screams the loudest yet, and suddenly a cry sounds through the hospital room.

'A lassie!' the Healer announces, wrapping the small pink wailing thing up in a blanket. 'A bonny lassie!' she hands the crying bundle to Peter, and he's met with a tiny baby, hands curled into fists, completely bald, face screwed up, toothless mouth wide open.

'She's beautiful.' whispered Peter, holding her so tightly because he's afraid she'll fall. He holds her out to Daisy, who's misty eyed and beaming.

'Florence.' she whispers to the snuffling baby. 'Florence Pettigrew.'

* * *

Muggle mass murdering. It's common these days. Groups of Death Eaters roaming around the country, baiting them for fun. The Order puts a stop to these excursions whenever they can, but sometimes they're just too late.

The burnt smell of things Peter doesn't want to think about reaches his nose as the Order move quickly through the burning village, along with the terrified shrieks of muggles. The Death Eaters have disappeared, leaving the entire mess for them to clean up, and Peter wishes he was at home with Daisy and little Flo.

'Branch off.' Shacklebolt orders, hurrying towards the nearest flame filled house, where three muggles are hanging out the window crying for help. 'Cover all the area you can, keep a watch out for Death Eaters and send up sparks if you find someone seriously injured, or are in trouble. Report back here in an hour.'

The group rushes off in different directions, warily holding their wands in front of them and moving into the houses still containing the living. Flames light their way, reaching out of the thick, eye watering smoke.

'Hello Pettigrew.'

From amidst the burning buildings, Bellatrix materializes, her face covered with a silver mask. But he knows her voice anywhere. Flanking her are two bulky Death Eaters, and all three of their wands are pointed straight at him.

'I heard you got that mudblood of yours knocked up.' Bellatrix purrs. 'Baby girl wasn't it?'

Peter doesn't answer, but he can feel himself shaking. She knows about Flo, probably Neville and Harry as well.

Bellatrix steps forward, and lifts his chin up with her wand. 'I'm giving you one more chance Pettigrew.' she says softly. 'One more. Will you take it?'

'I don't – '

'What if I told you,' Bellatrix whispers silkily, 'That the Dark Lord himself is standing in your home right now, about to murder your wife and child?'

'You're lying.' hisses Peter, but he feels sick.

'Lies?' He can practically hear the glee in her voice. 'On the contrary Pettigrew. She closes her eyes behind her mask, and suddenly a picture fills Peter's mind, a woman screaming, a baby crying, a flash of green light and a high cold laugh.

'NO!' he shouts, stumbling back. He lifts his wand, and sends blind curses at Bellatrix, his mind whirling, head spinning. 'NO! IT'S NOT TRUE! DAISY! FLO!' Bellatrix neatly side steps a bolt of red light and it hits one of her goons, who falls back rigidly onto his partner with a nasty crack.

'Oh dear me, it's all too true.' Bellatrix giggles cruelly. She doesn't seem at all affected by the fact she's two men down. 'Come on Pettigrew. All you have to do is say yes. Take care of your mudblood wife, and that filthy half breed bast – '

And that's how Bellatrix Lestrange died.

She crumples to the ground, her mask slipping off, face a mixture of shock and anger. She opens her mouth for a minute, thrashing around, then lies limply on the pavement. Daisy stands behind her, shivering slightly even through the searing heat of the burning houses, wand trembling in her hand. Peter doesn't even know he's moved, but then he crashes into her arms, and holds her so tightly she can barely breath. 'Daisy!' he whispers, covering her face with kisses. 'I thought you – I thought – '

Daisy hugs him back, burying her face in his chest and breathing shallowly.

'Where's Flo?' Peter asks frantically, stepping back and trussing up the groggy Death Eaters trying to get up from the ground. 'Where is she?'

'Safe.' breathes Daisy. 'I left her with Grandma an hour ago, and came to find you. I-I just had this awful feeling that something – ' she trails off and hugs him again.

'We're safe.' Peter mutters. 'I'm safe, you're safe, Flo's safe. And you killed Bellatrix Lestrange!'

Daisy gives a shaky smile.

* * *

The house is in ruins when they arrive home. The upstairs is burnt and blackened, bits of it crumbling away and half the house has exploded. Daisy makes an odd choking noise, and sprints towards the front door, Peter close behind her. 'FLO!' she shrieks, looking around wildly. 'GRANDMA! GRANDMA! FLO! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!'

She races upstairs, throwing herself over a gaping hole in the steps, and Peter can hear her tearing around, still screaming for her grandmother and her baby. But he's already found them.

Elderly Mrs Green lies motionless on the floor, stiff as a board, eyes staring unblinkingly at him, but her face still frozen in terror. And behind her, there's a soft sob.

Flo, miraculously alive, only a bleeding cut on her tiny forehead, inside a little cradle of cushions, reaching out her arms to be picked up. 'Daddy!' she says clearly, as he shouts for Daisy, and holds her tightly in his arms. Then 'Mummy!' as Daisy comes in, tears streaming down her cheeks, taking Flo and clutching her to her chest, staring down at her grandmother, falling to her knees and shutting her eyes.

* * *

Everyone's celebrating. The whole Wizarding World is dancing in the streets, hugging muggles, having parties. Voldemort is gone at last, seemingly felled by a one year old.

'To Florence Pettigrew!' people shout, raising glasses. 'The Girl Who Lived!'

'I can't understand it.' Dumbledore says, shaking his head. 'The prophecy – '

'I told you.' Maud Gillwendle tells him smugly. 'Circumstances. Pettigrew and Daisy both defied You-Know-Who, in their refusal to give up. Why, everyone in the Order could have been eligible, because we defy the Dark Lord every day by continuing to stand against him. You-Know-Who may not have known it when he tried to kill that little girl, after all he was only doing it to punish Pettigrew – but he marked Florence Pettigrew as an equal.'

The parties die down after a while, but the euphoric wizarding community doesn't.

'Don't you have anything better to do?' Daisy asks a crush of people trying to see Flo as the family wander through Diagon Alley. Peter helpfully pulls her into the closest shop, Flourish and Blotts, to avoid and overzealous woman trying to get Flo's autograph. 'How's Flo going to have a normal life if people keep worshipping her for something she can't even remember? Famous before she can walk!'

'Who's a clever girl?' Peter asks, throwing gurgling Flo in the air and catching her. 'Who's a clever little girl, defeating one of the most evil wizards in history? You are! Yes you are!'

Daisy rolls her eyes at him and finally pulls the door shut on the people outside, ignoring someone who's asking her about her newly round stomach. 'It's really none of their business whether I'm pregnant or not.' she says, picking up a book on the display entitled Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them 'Oooh, New Scamander's new book is out!'

Peter can see her as clearly as anyone else after the war, picking up the pieces of their lives and carefully sliding them back into place. Of course there's pieces missing, empty spaces, but in time another bit of the jigsaw puzzle will come along and slot itself in the lonely space, not replacing the old piece, just filling in for it.

Benjamin Pettigrew is born, with a head of curls and a mischievous smile. 'What a heartbreaker!' the Healer tells them delightedly, passing the giggling baby to Daisy. 'This one'll get all the girls!'

It's just like his dream, Peter thinks, kissing Daisy on the cheek while she glues herself to a pair of Omnioculars, crouching behind a twisted old tree and watching an African Twisted Toe Boggingtick tear apart some hapless bird. Ben and Flo sit cross-legged behind them, scribbling on Daisy's notes, but she doesn't appear to have noticed yet. Leaning forwards slightly, she frowns slightly and takes out one of her many books to make a comparison.

'See, it's got that elongated horn sticking out of its beak?' she murmurs to Peter. 'This one's a female.'

Peter squints at the strange animal and nods intelligently. 'Of course.' Daisy laughs quietly at him, starting to pack her books up. 'Think I've got enough notes for today, and I don't want to miss Harry's birthday this afternoon. Lily and James are only staying for two more weeks. We'll miss them won't we Ben?' she picks Ben up and swings her bag around her shoulders.

'They may as well stay for good.' Peter says, hefting Flo, who's just turned three, up for a piggy-back ride. 'Marlene and Padfoot seem to have moved in to our house, and I think Moony has a thing going with your friend Ashanti.'

The family set off across the dusty path with the rising sun warming their backs. The war is over. Voldemort's gone. All is well.

 **There it is! I'm sorry for the horrible Scottish accent, and I don't think Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was out in 1981, but I'll bend things a little. Any suggestions on how to build on the prophecy would be welcome. I think that's pretty much covered.**

 **Loony Lovegood.**


End file.
